news flash: #iran elections. lucky us.

(photo courtesy of the bbc)

with khomeini's speech to the iranian people over, one only has to wonder -as the article from the bbc where this photo appears does- whether the protests and rallies **edit::: the largest protests since the 1979 revolution** will be strong enough and ongoing for the authorities to respond in the appropriate and reasonable way. if not, human rights issues would be wholly multiplied by this once power-flex of the ruling iranian government.

as i was performing chauffeur duties for my mum today, the waiting in the car consisted of sudoku and npr listening. one of my favorite programs, the takeaway, was on and brought up an important example of the issues involving human rights injustices which are currently being thrust and reinforced on the iranian voters. if you'd like to listen to the segment direct yourself here.

basically, it seems unimaginable that i can be sitting here blogging away, whilst simultaneously chatting with friends in other places via gmail, and watching the season five premiere of weeds and there have been sanctions on basic internet viewing in that modern country. sanctions on internet via servers and proxy disabling (like the "iran elections" twitter blockage from within the country), internet outages, cell phone network outages, the list can go on. what a way to show how much you care about your people than to not let them have a voice when the entire world is watching. the npr program seemed to suggest that these internet shutdowns are in part due to the overwhelming amount of live coverage that has been happening from the people who are involved. youtube, twitter, facebook, online news sources. everywhere is talking about it.

all this in fact has finally spurred me to join twitter after months of holding out for a good reason to present itself. i joined in order to be able to find and follow these live, primary sources. finally, a good reason for a program that i couldn't justify for "up-to-the-minute" social networking until now. one of the people i have found that is a student who is, dangerously i might add, updating about the iranian state tv programs that are being broadcast, the khomeini speech, student protests, etc can be found by pointing your dial here.

finally, if you are, as i am, a more visually stimulated person the huffington post has a startling slideshow and interesting updates on the state of the tehran.

my eyes will be glued. hopefully, good things will come from all these efforts and the votes will be found and counted. fairly.

things really are different.

growing up in a small-ish southern city and opting to move to a bigger more northern city for university learning and beyond has truly tricked me.

i guess i never really noticed how different two places can be when living in both has become like home for me.
yes, i think the south will always really be my home, but can we have more than one home? and i am not referring to those lucky enought to OWN more than one home/house/condo/apartment/villa....

yes, i am also acutely aware of the glaringly real differences in geography, climate, and urban density of my two "homes." but i think having those comfortable feelings has really skewed my

perceptions of these locales.

and only now that i have found this comfort am i noticing the difference between my homes.

you guessed it, miley cyrus is the difference...essentially. what i have noticed is that there is stress put on such various things in everyday life, in the "buzz" people talk about, and even local news.

since 3rd june [one of my first days back here in sc,] when the story was originally reported that miley cyrus was to perform here, i have heard of, been made aware of, or noticed whilst perusing the local paper atleast one mention of the performer per DAY. its like its some medium/huge news story that just keeps getting updated. without fail.

take one of my favorite headlines from this weekend::: "Tickets go on sale for Miley Cyrus." is it me or is that a necessary piece of news? perhaps this performer is getting so much press here as compared with my northerly digs because her concert will take place on one of THE biggest events of the fall down in this neck of the woods, the usc-clemson football game (for those of you who aren't from sc, thats the university of south carolina, not southern california...it came first, honestly). perhaps, it is because there just isn't as much news in south carolina where the city is smaller and less culturally "urbanized." nevertheless, thanks to miley cyrus, i've really started noticing the less than subtle differences between my homes again. geographically and otherwise.

oh, and i don't even want to get started on the fact that a sixteen year old teen-pop-disney-sensation has enough life stories and wisdom to be able to sell autobiographies.

have a lovely week.

rainy season.

home is a fun place. home is a bittersweet place. home is always still home.

as i haven't had an overwhelming amount of personal time here, i have been trying to think up ways to amuse and challenge myself whence that time works its way in to my agenda.

all of this thinking and not so much action on it makes restlessness even more apparent. when meeting with a friend to work out ideas, we make exciting plans for doing. however, if south carolina hasn't taught me once, it hasn't taught me my entire life. this place is notorious for amazingly ever-present rainstorms during the summertime. not only summertime rainstorms, but also thunder and lightning and everything nice. these downpours are the perfect remedy for the humidity and 32+ degrees C (still working on the conversions, so: 90+ F) heat that wafts through the very thick air.

yes perhaps its just rain, but pouring aside, electricity becomes shoddy and then it becomes too late for bike rides, or people scouting, or combing the city to reach goals.

therefore, plans aren't really anything realistic until the weather can actually cooperate. but, hopefully i'll have something to report on the creative front when my plans can actually be carried out.

its a wrap.

the uk's graduate fashion week 2009 ended wednesday with a gold prize and all.

personally, i wouldn't mind wrapping myself and the boy in a few of these garments for all sorts of fun occasions. from chilly winter day hangout gear to afternoon tea or a night out swaying to the beats...i would love to procure some elements of these exhibitions and here are my final loves and impressions from them.

i mention the boy because it seems from this post, and much of the photos that i found (all of these come from fashion156) that menswear was a fantastic focus for quite a few of these grads. huzzah for interesting clothes for the boys.


april schmitz from uca epsom made quite a collection of futuristic streetwear ensembles and armor for the casual lady. one of the outfits has fantastic koala bear ears shoulders that could certainly pose pretty on many a shoulder of outfits. the circular cutouts and sexy silhouettes reminded me of barbarella, a favorite on my cult status movie list. the opening scene is a must-see if you don't catch my reference.

like some of the most beautiful combination thriftery i have ever seen, lucie vincie from uca epsom has constructed a fantastic multitude of menswear desires. though the boy has great taste, these silhouettes are something i would love to turn him on to. for those who know me, they know how much i hold true to solid colors -finding patterns personally difficult to please. however these ecletically satisfying patterns would be a welcome addition to my cloth rotation. vincie clearly was influenced by the current s/s 09 trend of "native" patterns and materials (perhaps the sketches were dreamed up whilst wrapped up in a navajo blanket...)

this delightfully playful mens sportswear collection from susanna mensah at uca rochester was the first to be sent for opinions across the pond to the boy in oz. an a-ok response came back. honestly, i want these pants. since we can wear the same pants, i want to share these pants. now. though i'm not thrilled with the shutter shade styling, i understand the need to appeal to a wider audience with this casual sportswear. otherwise, the cut and fit might be too much for a mainstream, shutter-shade donning public. the offer still stands though, we wear size 28 together, fyi.

on the mens side of futuristic shoulder-wear rachel lucy wakefield from the
university of salford created some gorgeous armor for the mens. yes the menfolk get some garments too with sculpted, angular he-man cartoon-like body shields. very cool. the zip-front jackets with inserts and steel colored ties make the collection appealing for everyday use.

this final set of breezy pastel beauties comes from francesca samm of nottingham trent university. this collection is the epitome of easy daywear for me. the silhouettes are simple. the styling is pared down. and the fabrics are the kind of knitwear that i would find myself grabbing off the hanger day in and night out because of the uniqueness these shifts posess for everyday and nightwear (glow in the dark details would certainly match my watch and be perfect for techno darkness). i'll take them all for layering, singular, and multi-purpose use.

wrap me up. i am interested to see where these ideas and grads go.

good luck to them.

a week's worth.

exciting and fun times london must be having right now.

as graduate fashion week 2009 is officially underway -day one having zoomed by already. as i

am about to kick off a beach week this week. i thought i would leave some of the only quality images that my tired little searching mind could find online this evening. however, these graduates have some serious exciting garments to peruse. there are definitely some garments and ideas that would be awesome to see built upon in future collections and explorations.

as these are only from a few good sources, i apologize for the lack of breadth:::

this first set that struck me is by iwona pilch from middlesex university in london. i liked this

because it resonates very soundly with my own interests. anthropologically speaking, iwona cites the "second skin" of ritual body modification, most notably scarring, cutting, and tattooing as the force behind her delightful structural and fun pieces. these garments are something i would really love to own/borrow/explore/all of the above.

this black on black leather theme is roxanne pitteway from northampton university's doing. leather seemingly always has an s+m naughty connotation involved, yet pitteway forms the material into hoods and structures in the rear -not a sought after place. these pictures make exoskeletons very desirable in the way that she has executed them here. an exoskeleton hood?the possibilites of mixing and matching with such a nice exciting piece as this is making my mind run away with itself.

this delightful, stark set of three from anna rose underdown couldn't possibly go under my radar. i just wish that there were more and better detailed photos of this set. underdown notes the importance of "women's underwear, youthfulness, sportswear, and luxury" in casting her designs. but, i really love how the structure of a breastplate along with long underwear makes for very appeasing bodywear. yes! vpl on a whole new level. more please.

as for these four photos from katie hildebrand's (kingston university) runway exhibition...there is not much to explain. the styling is amazing. the knits are fantastic -does anyone else want a knit helmet as much as i do? the prints are stunning, interesting, and appealing even to a person who notmally finds it hard to want them in the personal wardrobe. but, truly i love every look for different reasons. from the dress, to the helmets, to the jumpsuit, to the coat, and the leggings everything is spot on in fit, color, and look.

that's all for now before i head off to the grand strand for some much needed sunshine and fresh air. will be reporting from a hammock with a daiquiri in hand next time you read a post.

cheers.